New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
RICHES SAFE FROM THEFT
SECURITIES MADE DOUBLY SECURE.
GROWTH OF TIE SAFE DEPOSIT AND STORAGE

over the dark sce, OF the human family Burglary is
a science, too there Is no scouting that The ranks OF
crlcksmen the world in ,ude men who have gwen
their nefarious calling great study and much time There
is a lock invented adays that burglars 90 not
study pcrssently and devise some method 10 pick But
there is nsupcrale barrier 10 the advance Of cracks
men that modern skill has devised and that is the
burglar proof safe deposit system
Did any for instance, hear of safe deposit
being cracked" - Ask official at of these insti.
utons whether 10 was robbed and ten to one he
Will reply Did you hear OF man trying to carry
of niagara Falls I" That's the pointhe safety Of tho
institution which il to the world If the idea IS old
The Ptolcmics had a OF safe deposit OF their own
In the Pyramids, where they used to hide themselves
! away from the plumber and in which they deposited
their precious nlummfed dead If wishc, TO grasp
the idea antiquity had OF the system let him 20 TO the
Produce Exchange safe Deposit and storage Companys
establishment and take look the cuto vault, where
he will lind mummy that has gslcd at its toes stree the
laying OF the stone OF the Egyptian obcsR that
now graces Central PARK up to the present time.
| Mummes helOlg TO the most exclusive family in the
world II takes zoo Oug to get into their set, IL fact,
life Is too short for that But the probabilities are that
{ the coccc0lood Egyptian relic il the basement OF
the Produce Exchange could give information Oh the
subject he would testify that the American system OF
safe deposits and storage l. such advance over the
Old fashioned methods of hs contemporaries that tie
American Institution is practically tie first OF It's kind IN
the world.
A DIsuNCTVELY AMERICAN IDEA.
1t is the only thing OF its kind in the wOrt, nj IS
| therefore dstinctively American institution me
English conservative about storing theI yaluabcs.
they make their deposits with their bankers and 10 not
wish 20 change their custom safe deposit establish
mcnts been established In England, but with little
success, thoagh storage system has long ourshed
there. About the only safe deposit con crn In London
| Of any account is the National The English storage
system differs materially from the American, in some
instances the vaults being almost entirely under ground,
running down perhaps as far as eight stories This
underground system makes London lose line build
ngs besides taking cruel advantage over the London
rog 1t also gives birth TO the horrible thought Shat hax
O Rel right when he said that John Bnl was dread
fully suspicious about & lt tunue from Paris 70 London
under the English Channel 1t quite ran that these
huge massive storehOuses would prove excellent under
ground forts should Pierre attempt TO enter London
through tunncing That Is. II the deposit vaults are
the soliI tcuda like forts thai sees in t1s c'ty.
II is probable the storage system in this ely was
begun nearly forty years ago Since then has been
added each and the forty odd stor-
age repositories in to are almost varied enough
In character construction and system 20 tell the history
OF the ciys progress for the last four decades The first
storage house, is said. stood the site occupied
! by the Masonic Temple Some busncss-lKe furniture
movers that their trade could bo supplemented by
some kidd OF store house for the furniture of New
Yorh's shifting population and the system rapidly grew
The houses now run through all grades starting with the
Manhattan, FOrty-secondst. and Lcxingtoa.aNc, and
the Lincoln and .akng IN the Mercantile, the Produce
| Exchange the Manhattan. Leonard t and Broadway;
| the NcwYork Banscrs' and dozen other less Well
| known concerns
The safe deposit system is natural complement to the
storage system. II introduced about 1860 by tho
New York safe Deposit Company All leading storage
houses have safe deposit vault more or less extern
sye establishments make as much ~ one branch
the other: Others Ike the Stock Exchange Safe
Deposit Company. and several safe deposit companies
controlled by banks make attempt AZ storage dealing
largely with brokers and bankers The buildings OF the
establishment. named above and few others are both
| tire and burglar proof.
! ALMOST A MODERN NECESSITY.
IL estimated that 50 per cent OF the wealthy classes
nj 20 per of those OF average means yearly store
! away some OF their vauablcs in these safe deposit
vaults whether bonds. securities and mortgages, or
furniture, pictures and pianos. Tho safety and con-
yeAieuce OF the systems being more an more
appreciated by those OF limited means and the storage
idea il rapidly gaining ground since the storage sys-
ten developed the safe deposit system IN this city the
| two TO los found on more or less extensive
scale In many OF the large cities OF this country. The
various managers OF tho business here are saneninc
about spreading far and wide. They believe that THIS
double scheme Tor protecting wealth IA 40 necessary 20
business that IN time IL viii be established IN nearly
every city and town Of Importance In the country.
| Boston, Baltimore Chicago, Philadelphia and other
cities long ago followed NETWORKS lead. Here and
there a. for instance in small nufaciurius 70
This city and In towns generally ~ shifting popud-
tons storage establishments are already 70 bc found
TO see the double system at Its best visit should be
paid the storch0uses here Take the largest
one for example. uptown affair Il is no; only the
largest in this country but IN the world II covers an
aero Of ground and IS eight stories high The massive
appearance Of this huge pile Of brick stone concrete
aud iron suggests an American B3sti'e. Tie walls are
something Ike Ave feet thick At the base and three and
hall feet thick at the Op They are the crust or bdi-
Ing that took two years To bIiA and cost nearly
! ~ 100000 Tho baliug IL lire proof, but 10 make
everything the buldius Is pracuchlly cut
into ten separate storage houses under one roof The
receiving extends 10 the Top or The huldlne anu
runs ia curre width. There is method IN this madness
that would make professional baggage smlsher dioo
with rage.
INSIDE A BIG STORAGE HOUSE.
Four hugo elevators cone down 70 the main floor each
capable ~ carrying COO pounds The driven
ON these lifts and ny they 90 TO the desired
story. The trunks parcels we're first ucctcd when
they brought into the building. and when they
reach their destined story tho Saratoga trnk that used
10 be labelled "a containing dynamite live gorilla or IN
internal machine for protection against the baggage
snasher loscs ia identity. II have hirei top uoor
| compartment your trunks and parcels be
come No. 999 assigned TO cell 900, tier 9.
! Several Of the foors given up u celllike
rooms that run IN lines back 10 the outer wall with
corridors between The compartments hold from half
van to five loads and the prices vary with the size
-Four dollars will got a small compartment for month.
and for year the prices ran up from $40 To Sl1,o
BESIDES the small compartment there are number or
open floors" socaed whore furniture Is stored away
spac.d on by the arches overhead Many people prefer
the open floors, they from - TO 20 per cent
cheaper than the small cells and they permit frcrr
circulation Of air. Downstairs in the Ia -ment are
huge labyrinth vaults
Nearly all establishments are connected by tcc'
graph with Police Headquarters ami the Fire Depart
mcnt besides being pltrole by armed watchmen who
REGISTER their circuits each h,fhOur. by the time
hnrg got a hole through the side of one OF these build
ncs he would ind that policemen and detectives had